A Level students in Lincolnshire fear they may miss out on their place at university after an error was made in their exam paper.

Pupils taking the OCR Biology A (Biological processes written) exam were left dumbfounded after a vital statistical formula that was needed to solve a question about standard deviation was omitted from the paper.

This was despite the exam board's approved revision textbook stating that students did not need to be learn the formula off by heart to use in their examination.

The OCR endorsed biology revision guide tells students they are not expected to learn the formula off by heart for the exam

Among the 19,000 pupils across the country who sat the exam were the biology students at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy in North Hykeham.

One of the pupils, who wishes to remain anonymous says the mistake threw her off the rest of her paper as she couldn’t stop thinking about the marks lost by not completing the question.

She said: "I know our school and a few others sat the exam.

"It was annoying as we were told by our teachers and by the revision guide that we didn't need to know the formula off by heart.

"With the formula not being there, it threw me off. I tried to concentrate on the other questions but when I tried to move on I couldn't as I was still thinking about that question.

"I need certain grades for university - If I don't get them I won't get in.

"I am worried not just about this exam but the other two biology exams we have to sit. What if there are mistakes in them as well?".

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OCR - who are one the country's leading examination boards - have since apologised for the mistake and have assured concerned students and parents that it will be taken into account when the papers are marked.

A spokesperson for OCR said: “For one question on OCR’s A Level Biology paper H420/01 (Question 20a, worth 3 marks out of a total of 100), the formula for standard deviation was not provided.

“Some of OCR’s guidance to schools and teachers about the syllabus indicated that candidates would be provided with this. OCR apologises and will address any impact of this during marking and grading.”

Pupils at Sir Robert Pattinson Academy in North Hykeham sat the exam

The mistake isn't the first that OCR have reportedly made with their papers.

Just over a fortnight ago, the exam board was forced to apologise for an error in their English literature GCSE paper as a question about the character Tybalt from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet implied he is a Montague when he is actually a Capulet.

And then just last week, OCR apologised for “poorly wording” an A-level psychology question.

Students taking the exam were left confused by a question asking them to “calculate the mean percentage of words”.